My husband is a fabulous bread baker. He understands the chemical interaction between the yeast, the flour, the gluten and the liquids and turns out these delectable loaves of yummy breads. Lucky me!

He has been using these two old steel bread pans for 2 decades. They are pitiful looking. I would like to get him some new, state of the art bread pans. What do you recommend?

I am the pie baker and I use glass pie plates because that allows the bottom crust to brown nicely. Would glass bread pans have the same effect? What do you experienced bakers us? Rainey - you might have a suggestion!

Well, I rarely bake bread in pans. But there are a couple sandwich breads that I do for Steve and Izzy (for some reason they can't imagine a sandwich made with freeform loaves. My father used to smile and say "more for me!). The pans I use are heavy, dark metal with a stick resistant coating (maybe silicone or some kind of resin?). Caphalon makes such pans and if you catch the inventory right you can pick these up at Target. They're not cheap even at Target but they're very substantial and should last him 10 years or more.

Chicago Metallic is also a company that makes very fine pans. Similar style. Don't remember how the prices compare. I think Bed Bath & Beyond carry them. Department and culinary stores should also carry such pans and I'm sure there are other companies I'm not acquainted with who make them.

I use these pans for my quickbreads too. I, personally, never oil them for bread or quickbread, but for quickbreads I fashion a "saddle" of parchment paper that goes from about 1" above one long side, down the side, across the bottom and up the other side ending about 1" long. Yeast breads will pop right out. I wait for the quickbreads to shrink a tad as they cool, wiggle them in the pan to loosen them and then use the loose ends of the saddle to lift them out.

While I'm sharing, I never wash these pans in soap. I run them through the hottest water I've got, use a medium-soft brush like a toothbrush to scrub out the seams at the corners and let them air dry. There will be nothing in the seams from yeast breads and only crumbs that soften quickly in the hot water for quickbreads.

It's my opinion that not using oils or soap and not abrading will keep the finish in good shape. Between this method and the high quality of the pans, I've been very happy with the ones I've been using for 8 years or so._________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

Like Rainey, I usually make free form loaves rather than bake bread in a pan. I have some ancient pans that my grandmother used. They have an impression in the base that says, "Morton Old Kentucky Recipe Bread". She probably got them by sending in coupons from the back of a magazine! Frankly, those old well-seasoned pans work beautifully for those times I want to make a structured loaf.

For non-yeast breads, I use sturdy non-stick pans.

In the past I've attempted forming loaves in pyrex loaf pans, and have been disappointed with the results. No idea why they worked differently, but I prefer the metal pans to the glass.

It is possible that your husband has ideas about the kinds of special pans he might enjoy? If he is into bread making as you described, he might already know a type of pan that would be special. No idea how to get that info from him without spoiling the surprise!

I hate to say it, but sometimes those pitiful looking pans are the best. My grandmother's old tube pan is like that. Sorry, I don't have any really great recommendations. Like Rainey, I prefer free form. I think King Arthur has some interesting pans in their catalogue. I remember one that is a perforated italian bread mold. I use a cheapo baker's secret pan when I make batter breads. Is there a restaurant supply store where you live? They might have something interesting. He probably already has a good stone, but if not, that might be fun.

Melly, can you get KA stuff in the Netherlands? The shipping must be nightmarish! _________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

I forgot to say "rolled" edges and not machine stamped for great stability.

You guys are lucky to have old stuff. The oldest things I have were Steve's mothers and she didn't cook a lot so it's limited and mostly of sentimental value.

I've never tried doing bread in glass. I've made it in terra cotta and I like that, but it has the special quality of being porus and retaining heat. For terra cotta I don't buy special culinary pieces that are pricey. I get heavy pots from the gardening center. The ones called "pans" (ironically enough) which are intended to be used for forcing bulbs are wide and low and often don't have holes. OTOH, if you liked a conventional pot or a long Tom with holes, a little piece of foil would do the trick of containing the dough.

One of the nice things about terra cotta is that, like a banneton it contains the dough and gives it shape as it rises but, unlike the banneton, you don't have to transfer the risen loaf from the basket to a peel to the stone._________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

He has been using these two old steel bread pans for 2 decades. They are pitiful looking. I would like to get him some new, state of the art bread pans. What do you recommend?

I am the pie baker and I use glass pie plates because that allows the bottom crust to brown nicely. Would glass bread pans have the same effect?

Well I recently went back to baking bread (and until this week we haven't bought store-bread for almost 2 months - I was sick this week, so no homemade bread). Anyway, I digress... Since I couldn't find the old bread pan I had, I bought a new one - it's heavy metal, black on the outside, titanium coated on the inside, rolled edges and little holes along the sides at the bottom (which tend to help the loaf slide out).

I've also tried in a smaller Pyrex pan (I think it was a terrine dish). The loaf was fine (if too small for the purpose). The glass dish did need greasing, as without it was difficult to remove the loaf. From memory the bottom and sides were no more or less crusty than when using a metal pan.

Melly, can you get KA stuff in the Netherlands? The shipping must be nightmarish!

We have an APO address so it is standard US postage. I do shudder to think what it would cost to ship it otherwise, if they even would. That being said, I haven't ordered anything from them since I have been here. Although our house has a good sized kitchen by Dutch standards, it is still smaller than the one we left. I had to put stuff in long term storage so I'm trying to not add to the clutter. I do need some additional sizes of tart pans though. I'm going to hit some of the kitchen supply stores when we go to Paris next month. (Can you see the cartwheels that I am doing in anticipation?)

Can you do with rings instead of pans? I think they'd store easily._________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

Well, what a great place this is - here in cyberspace - where you can get such a conversation rolling with such a variety of experience, ideas and suggestions! Thanks, everyone, for your postings!

Sam does mostly use a stone to bake either baguettes or boules - and he has all the requisite accessories - bannetons, peels, lames, etc. But the other night he made an Irish brown bread that required a loaf pan and when I washed them out, they were so pathetic, I thought maybe I could get him something a little more "Professional". The loaf pans he is using are pans I bought beofre we were married to use for the (VERY) occasional banana bread. I probably bought them at Safeway for $1.98.

So I have researched online and found Chicago Metallics at Bed Bath & Beyond and also in the King Arthur catalogue - where I got most of his bread paraphenalia). Target does indeed have the Calphalon, so I will check the store near school and see if they have it in stock. And I may indeed check out the restaurant supply store near my house. I think I'll try to touch pans by at least 2 different manufactureres before I decide, but now I know what to look for! You guys are GREAT!!! _________________L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais